The Heroes Of Olympus & The Surrounding Darkness
by Im.a.Writer55
Summary: Percy Jackson and the other seven from the prophecy are taken hostage in their own dreams by Lycaon and other villains from Greek mythology and beyond. Within their dreams, Lycaon plans to use the seven by transforming them into supernatural creatures. When they wake up, they're still the creatures Lycaon made them to be! Now, they have limited time to fix this before they go evil.
1. From a Dream to a Nightmare

_**The Heroes Of Olympus & The Surrounding Darkness**_

**I do not own any rights to ****_Percy Jackson And The Olympians_**** or****_ The Heroes Of Olympus. _****I wrote this story merely for the fun of it and for practice as I someday hope to become a known author. Also, this story takes place after the Giant War.**

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Percy Jackson P.O.V.

I can barely see. The only light comes from the full moon which lies frozen in the center of the sky. I look up at the millions of stars scattered in various spots around the moon. I can hear leafs rustling in the trees around me. I am in the woods. Not only that, but I stand about twenty feet away from Zeus's fist. I look around in every direction. I have no idea how I got here. I have no idea why I'm here. There is one thing I know for sure: I am not alone.

I can sense another's presence. They are watching me, waiting for me to do something. I don't know how it is that I can feel someone else's presence, but I do. It's almost like a sixth sense. Almost like the touch or feeling of something, I can feel where they are. I twist my body to the left, and sure enough, I can see glowing red eyes staring directly at me.

I turn completely around and run. Whatever was back there isn't quite ready to give up. I know that they're chasing after me, and they are much faster. As I run, I realize that Camp-Half Blood is the other way. I'm only making things easier for my pursuer. I need to somehow get around them before they catch me.

I only realize too late that my pursuer is closer than I'd realized. I feel them grab the collar of my hoodie and yank me back. They are so strong that my feet fly off the ground and I land hard on my back in the wet dirt.

He kneels next to me on my right. He uses one of his hands to choke me, and I use both of my hands to try to pull his arm away to be able to get any bit of air into my lungs. He pauses to study my face as if he's never seen anything like me. As if I'm something completely new to him. But after he snaps out of his momentary train of thoughts, he proceeds with his job.

He uses his free hand to grab my left wrist. He releases my neck from the grasp of his large, meaty hand and I gasp, taking in as much air as my lungs can hold. He scrunches my sleeve up my arm and studies my skin.

I don't pay any attention to whatever it is he's looking at. Instead, I stare at him. I can barely see his face under the light of the moon but I can just barely make out a few details. Of course, the first thing I notice are his eyes. Still glowing red, but brighter than before. He has a bad five o'clock shadow and his hair is just a crappy hack job. He breathes through his mouth and his breath smells awful.

Now, I realize what he is looking at. On my wrist is something that I had never noticed before. It had never been there before. It is a scar. It looks like teeth marks like someone had bit me, and it looked fresh.

I can faintly hear the man curse under his breath.

"What do you want?" I ask with my voice shaking. He only looks at me blankly. "Are you here to kill me? Why don't you just get it over already?"

"That would displease my patron." He answers. He then releases me and stands. He looks either way and jumps over me, running deeper into the woods.

I lay, watching the man as he goes. I'm so tired that I feel like I could lay here forever and just sleep. I lift my left arm to see the bite better. I can't tell what animal it's from, but it's definitely fresh.

Now, as I look away from my wrist, the scene is changing. I'm no longer surrounded by woods, but I'm in some sort of dungeon. Shackles bind my wrists and ankles so I can't get further than six inches of the concrete wall. I'm still in the same clothes as when I was in the woods; tattered jeans, navy blue zip-up hoodie, and gray sneakers.

I sigh aloud because I know exactly what is going on. I've had this dream before. Every night for two weeks, but every time I have this dream, the horror only seems to intensify while the pain gets worse.

I look up from myself, and notice that this isn't right. It's not the same as it always has been. Instead, six others are spread around the room in shackles too. I look at their sad faces and notice who they are.

They are the others from the prophesy of seven.

* * *

Annabeth Chase P.O.V.

I sit on the cold floor of the dungeon. I have no idea why my dreams have brought me here but I'm not alone. The other five… wait, is that Percy? Make that six. So, the other six from the prophesy are now here and I'm guessing this means trouble. I know that we're all still asleep in our cabins so no pain can come to any of us, but I can't help this feeling that someone is about to get seriously hurt... maybe all of us.

Then, the barred door across the room swings open. The first to enter is a tall, skinny, and very scruffy-looking man that I immediately recognize to be Lycaon.

After him, a lady walks in. I don't recognize her. She's extremely pale, has blonde hair, and her eyes are completely black. She has a big grin on her blood red lips. I notice her looking at Jason and she winks, but he doesn't seem to notice.

Last comes another man. He closes and locks the door. He turns around and gazes at everyone, then smiles. He looks so perfect; perfectly clear face, perfect hair, and an assumingly perfect body underneath the purble robe he wears.

Lycaon stands in the center of the room. "Welcome, my young slaves." He says to us.

"Lycaon, what do you want with us?" Piper asks to my right. I'm suprised by the confidence in her voice.

_That's right!_ I think to myself. _Piper has charmspeak! Maybe she can use it against our captors and they'll let us go!_

"Piper McLean, it's nice to see you again. How've you been?" Lycaon asks and puts on a big grin so everyone can see his razor sharp fangs.

"Why don't you just let us go? We're dreaming so it's not like you can keep us here." Piper says using her charmspeak to manipulate Lycaon's mind.

Lycaon laughs. "Oh, I'm sure you'll wish this was a dream. But you're wrong. This is your worst nightmare."

I look at Percy and what I see shocks me. He looks scared. Almost sad, like he's seen this before and nothing good will come from it. I'm here trying to keep my cool as well as I can and then I notice Percy across the room, probably more scared than anyone else around here, and... now I have no idea what to do.

Lycaon turns to Percy. "Don't think I didn't notice the teeth chattering."

Percy looks up at Lycaon. "Why do you keep doing this?"

"It's fun." Lycaon smiles.

"Why are they here? Can't you just torture me and let them go?"

"Of course not. My patron would be displeased. But don't worry, this is the last time."

Percy's eyes seem to widen. His expression seems to be a mix of shock, anger, and sadness.

"Now, let me explain why you are all here." Lycaon says as he walks to the center of the room again. All eyes go on him. "This is not a dream. This is a nightmare. Nightmares can cause pain emotionally, as you all probably know by now. But what you didn't know; they can cause pain physically too. Of course, that is only if you have the right kind of magic to help you do so."

"So, you're here to torture us?" Jason asks.

"No, no, not only that. You are all going to be my little puppets. You work for me now."

"Then who do you work for?" Leo cuts in.

Lycaon snickers at Leo. "That's not important. Now, if there are no more interruptions, we can get on with this."

He looks around the room expectantly. "None? Good. Where was I? Oh, yes! You work for me now. I control you. I favor you. Especially you, Perseus Jackson."

Percy cringes at the thought. "Please... just get it over with."

"So soon?" Lycaon asks with a toothy grin. "Alright, if that's what you want."

_No, no, no! _Is all I can seem to think as Lycaon approaches Percy, who, did I mention, is my boyfriend. _What is it Percy's asking him to do? Please, please don't hurt my best friend!_

Lycaon approches Percy. He bares a big grin. He breaks all of Percy's shackles with his bare hands. Percy stands there, waiting for the pain Lycaon is about bring onto him.

Lycaon lifts Percy's wrist to his own mouth. He bares his fangs. Percy closes his eyes to endure the pain.

I watch as he bites into Percy's arm. "No!" I scream.

But it's too late. Percy now has Lycaon's disease.

Lycanthropy.

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**A/N: Well, hope everyone likes it because I'm going to be writing more chapters! Can't just leave you guys hanging, can I? No, definitely not, because that is one thing I absolutely cannot stand. I won't leave you hanging if you don't leave me hanging, right? Well, I'll continue as soon as I can but it'll be a little hard with school and stuff going on. I really need to get studying for that physics test Tuesday...**

**Have a good week guys!**

**Oh, yeah! I wanted to mention that the 55 in my username isn't because I'm 55 years old... which I'm not! I'm 16 if you wanted to know. I just don't want anyone to think that I'm some elderly grandma who spends her days at home writing fanfiction about Percy Jackson. Lol, that would be a bit strange. ;)**


	2. The Second Bite

_**The Heroes Of Olympus & The Surrounding Darkness**_

**Hey everyone. If you're reading this, then I'm sure you've already read chapter 1 and I'm glad you're keeping up with my story. If you haven't read chapter 1 yet, GO READ IT! Anyways, it means a lot to me that you've read even this far. Please continue! Oh, and thanks for the reviews on chapter 1! They made me happy. Especially because this is the first fanfiction I've written.**

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Jason Grace P.O.V.

I can't help but gape in disbelief at the pain Percy's going through. He lies on the concrete floor, hyperventalating and groaning. He squeezes his wrist with his other hand, which does not seem to slow the bloodflow. His eyes are shut tight.

Annabeth is screaming. Piper's inbetween us so I can't see Annabeth, but I can tell by her muffled screams that she is crying. I need to do something, I have to stop this.

"Quit your crying, Annabeth Chase." Lycaon shouts at her. "It'll be your turn soon enough."

I close my eyes and imagine a bolt of lightning breaking through the ceiling and hitting Lycaon. I open my eyes but nothing happens. I try once more, but again... nothing.

Lycaon turns to me. "You're powers will not work in here, Jason Grace. You are helpless in my domain."

"_Your_ domain?" Asks a beautiful voice coming from a woman just walking into the room. She waves her hand and the door closes and locks behind her. She looks like a model with her curled dark hair and piercing green eyes. She wears a silky, purple dress with glimmering rhinestones. It seems like everything about her is inviting. "Remember, Lycaon. You are on _my_ island."

Annabeth gets quiet when she notices the woman.

"Oh, Annabeth, my dear." The woman says, walking to her. "It's been a while since I last saw you and Percy. That's right, it was the day you two destroyed my home and sent those aweful pirates after me and my staff."

"You turned my best friend into a guiney pig, Circe." Annabeth says back, sounding infuriated. I can't help but think _Percy was turned into a guiney pig? _I almost can't help myself from laughing, but given the situation we're in, I don't think it's a very appropriate time.

"I offered you a home and an immortal life with me. You could have become an implacable sorceress. But, no. Instead, you chose to go off with that disgusting boy and leave my family to die at the hands of those sickening pirates."

It gets quiet for a moment.

I then hear a loud _Slap! _and I hear Annabeth sob.

Percy must've recovered a little because he's sitting up against the stone wall. He seems dazed but confident. "Circe... please, I'm the one you want... just leave her alone."

Circe spins her body around to face him. "No, Son of Poseidon, you are not the one I want. Annabeth is, because she disrespected me. She turned down my offer to become my apprentice. She could've been extremely valuable, and she still can be." Circe turns back to Annabeth.

_What can I do? _I think to myself. Then I realize something. _I need to get their attention!_

"Stop!" I shout. Everyone turns on me. Now I need to try my best to act confident. "Leave them alone. If you're going to pick on anyone, pick on me."

Lycaon studies me. He shrugs and says, "Fine. I was planning on saving you for later, but if you say so." He waves his hand to the pale girl who I forgot was still here. She turns her head to me with a big smile.

She gets to me so fast, I hardly had time to blink. She stands face to face with me. She slowly brings one hand to my face and lightly rubs her fingers to my cheek. Her hand is so cold, it almost feels like ice. She stares deeply into my eyes. "Oh, Jason Grace. I've been waiting so long for this day." She looks almost sad as she says those words.

"Have we met before?" I ask.

Her eyes drift away as if recalling a long lost memory. "No, Jason. We have not. I am Lamia."

_Lamia? Where do I know that name from? _Then it hits me. _In Greek mythology, Lamia was the vampiric demon that preyed on children._

_Oh crap._

Her fingers seem to press harder against my cheek until she has me looking to my left. I suddenly feel shaky. I begin to ask, "Wait, what are you-"

I hear Piper shout, "Don't do it! Stop!" She was trying to use her charmspeak but it must not have worked because all I can think about is the excruciating pain of Lamia's fangs breaking through the skin of my neck.

_Okay, this is a really vivid dream. I'm starting to doubt this is a dream at all._

I suddenly have no strength. It's like she completely drained my energy. My eyes are seeing spots and my ears are ringing so I can't tell at all what is going on until I finally feel her teeth unclench my neck. My knees buckle and I find it hard to stand, so I fall backwards and hit my back on the hard wall. I slide down the wall until I'm sitting on the cold floor.

"Jason? Jason, please say something. Are you alright?" Piper asks me but I can't answer. Instead, I start to shiver from the cold that is overwhelming my body. And I'm coughing a lot. I can't breathe, I think it has to do with what Lamia did to me... or made me.

The spots on my eyes start to dissipate. I look across the room to see Percy standing again. He's kind of wobbly, but other than that he seems fine. He appears to be studying Lycaon, who's looking at me, obviously pleased with himself. Every one of our captors is watching me. Now I think I know what Percy is thinking.

Percy reaches into his pocket and pulls out a ballpoint pen. Riptide. I guess it's true that Riptide is always by Percy's side, even in his dreams.

He uncaps it and it elongates into a bronze, double-edged sword. He jumps at Lycaon from behind and jabs Riptide in front of his throat. Lycaon howls in rage.

"Didn't anyone think to disarm them?" Circe asks furiously.

"Nobody comes any closer. I'm not afraid to do it." Percy says with a sort of fire in his eyes that I've never seen before.

"Then we'll kill your friends."

Percy's expression changes from angry to suprised. He must've realized how unthoughtout his plan was.

"Percy, just let him go." Annabeth says. "I really don't want you or anyone else getting hurt."

Percy pauses. He shakes his head, "No. Nobody is going to get hurt besides _you freaks_." He says pointedly to our hosts.

Circe laughs out loud. "Percy Jackson, you can kill Lycaon if you wish. I'm done with him. I'm sure our patron won't mind. And after you kill him, I will kill you. Make your choice wisely."

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**A/N Hey, thanks for reading! I REALLY hope you like it. I'm trying my hardest. And I'm sorry that this chapter isn't as long as I'd hoped. I'll try to post chapter 3 asap but there's just so much going on. My little sisters birthday and homework and work... it really sucks. After I post this I gotta go help my mom make cupcakes. Ugh.. Anyways, I'll spend the weekend writing as many chapters as I can. Remember to REVIEW and check back for the next chapter soon!**


	3. Losing Focus

_**The Heroes Of Olympus & The Surrounding Darkness**_

**Hey, thanks so much for reading! And I'm sorry if you think this story is a slow read so far. I'm trying to step up my game and I'm gonna try to make it a little more interesting. If you have any ideas for what should happen next, please don't be shy to tell me in the reviews. I love hearing your thoughts. Enjoy!**

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Nico DiAngelo P.O.V.

It's just about noon and all of my friends are still sleeping. Percy and I are supposed to hang out. We were planning on going to the city. We thought we'd visit his mom for a little while, go see a movie, and do anything else we think looks like fun.

But no. Instead, he probably stayed up late last night and now he's sleeping in.

_If this goes on for much longer, I am going into his cabin to get him._

I see Tyson sitting on a bench next to the basketball court. I walk over and sit next to him.

"Nico!" He exclaims with a big grin.

"Hey, Tyson." I reply. "Is Percy awake yet?"

His expression darkens. "No. He's sleeping in cabin. Annabeth too."

"I'm starting to get a little worried. Leo, Jason, Piper, Hazel, and Frank are still sleeping too."

"What if bad thing happened?"

"I hope nothing bad happened. I think I'll go wake Percy."

"Yes. I will come with?" Tyson says with a funny smile.

"Sure." And together we walk to cabin three.

When we get there, Percy is still crashed on his bed. He's sweaty and keeps groaning like he's having a nightmare. Or maybe he's really sick.

"Tyson, can you go tell Chiron about this?" I ask the big guy.

"Yes." He answers. "You should check others."

"Alright, I will. Meet me back here with Chiron in ten minutes."

He nods his head and runs out the door with me trailing behind him. I stop abruptly in the doorway to give Percy one more look, but this time I notice something.

His wrist is bloody.

I walk to him and grab his arm. I see that this is no ordinary wound. It's a bite.

_What would Percy have been bitten by?_ I wonder. _Annabeth was the last person with him. I should ask her._

I run to the Athena cabin. I see that the door is open but I knock anyways. I peek my head in and see that no one's there. I've never been into the Athena cabin and it's not exactly what I had expected.

I thought it would be really clean, but instead there are papers, books, and scrolls scattered around the room. I ignore the mess and search for Annabeth. I find her completely crashed on her bunk, snoring. I almost laughed, despite the situation.

_Why are they sleeping? It's noon and Annabeth has never been known to sleep in. I should check the others._

I run to the Zeus cabin. I knock on the door. No answer. I knock again. No answer. I decide to go in, not caring if I get in trouble or not, and luckily it was unlocked. I discover a sleeping Jason in a bed in the corner of the room behind the giant statue of Zeus. I can see why he'd want to sleep over there. This Zeus statue gives me the creeps, and I'm a son of Hades, so that's saying something.

I decide to check on Leo in the Hepheastus cabin. Once I get there, I see that the door is open. Almost every time I go there, the demigods are too wrapped up in building some little trinket to even acknowledge that someone just knocked on their door, so I just walk in. I see that there is a girl sleeping on the top bunk of a bed, but no Leo. I walk to his bed and sit. I see a red button, and being ADHD, I couldn't help but push it without thinking about what the consequences might be.

I don't know why, but I close my eyes. When I re-open them, I'm somewhere completely different.

I don't acknowledge where I am because I spot Leo sitting in one of those cool spinny chairs with his head on the desk in front of him. He's sleeping face-down on a book, drooling, and mumbling something. It sounds like he's saying, "I can't do it."

_This is not good. _I think. _Why are only the seven from the last prophesy the ones that are under this sleeping curse? And what is it he can't do? Why can't he do it?_

My mind is on over-drive. I can't help but think about the millions of questions that race through my head. Maybe if I shake him he'll wake up. I try it but he only manages a weak cough. I now see that he's holding his stomach. I pull his arm away from his stomach and see that there's blood. A lot of blood.

I realize the time and sit on Leo's bed again, leaving Leo alone, still drooling a puddle and clutching his stomach. I press the same button I that brought me here and it brings me up like an elevator. Once I'm on the main floor of the cabin again, I run out the door as Nyssa wakes up from her nap and yells in an attempt to stop me.

I run back to Percy's cabin and find Tyson and Chiron inside. Chiron looks down sadly and says, "Nico, we have trouble."

"Well, of course we have trouble!" I shout back. "The seven from the last prophesy won't wake up. And I've noticed that they're hurt."

"Hurt?" Chiron asks. "What do you mean they're hurt?"

"Look." I say as I walk to Percy and hold his wrist up for them to see. "And Leo has a cut or something on his stomach."

Chiron's expression changes to shock. He canters over. "This is not good. I think I know what's happening to them."

"What?" I ask.

"They're in a special kind of dream state. Anything that happens to them in the dream will happen to their physical bodies."

"How did they get into this dream state in the first place? How do we get them out of it?"

"I believe someone or something brought them into their own dreams by poisoning their physical bodies with a special potion mix made by themselves. As far as I know, they can only get out by escaping their captors dreams. To do that, they must get far enough away from their captor to diconnect the dreams."

"But they don't know that. What if they can't get away in time and they get killed? What can we do?"

"I have an idea. It will require someone to go into the dreams with them and help them get away. I think that person should be you, Nico."

I think about that for a moment. _What if I get captured in the dream too and it was pointless? What if I accidentally get killed and they don't get away? I can't fail this. _But then again, getting captured or killed was something a demigod had to think about almost every day. "Alright, I'll do it."

"Excellent. First, we need to get the seven into the infirmary, then I'll put you under."

The way he said 'Put me under' scares me, but I know I have to do this for my cousin, sister, and only other friends that accept me.

We get help getting the seven into the infirmary and fixed up from some of the other cabins. I didn't expect Clarisse to care so much for their sake, especially Percy and Annabeth, but she just kept insisting.

After we examine the sleeping demigods, Chiron insists I get into a cot of my own. I do, and he hands me a small cup filled with a pink liquid.

"What is that?" I ask, disgusted.

"This is that special potion mixture that will keep you asleep long enough to get them out of their dreams. After you fall asleep, you'll appear into the dream, same as them. But you must be careful. You can get hurt as well as they can. And remember: just get them away from whoever controls the dream. You should all wake up immediately when you're far enough away."

I nod and drink. It doesn't taste as bad as it looks. It kind of tastes like bubblegum. I get tired instantly after I swallow the last gulp.

"Nico, I forgot to tell you. You can't-" Chiron doesn't finish his sentence. Well, either that or I fell asleep. I'm guessing it's because I fell asleep. I think about what he was saying to me. It sounded something like, "You can't go chasing nightmares." I might never know for sure, but I don't dwell on the thought because I find myself in a dungeon-like room, face-to-face with Circe, the most powerful sorcress ever born.

* * *

**A/N Hello again. I thought that I would mention that if you think I wrote this chapter a little different, it's because I wanted it to sound like it was Nico telling the story- not me. I've decided that I should get into the characters a bit better, so from here on out, I will throw in a little humor here and there. I've realized that my story seems to have been a bit of a drag so far. I'll try harder! And I wanted to mention: PLEASE REVIEW AND GIVE ME YOUR SUGGESTIONS. I would like to know what you guys would like to hear from the story and it would make me feel better knowing that I've scored with some people, if you know what I'm saying. Whatever, I gotta go to sleep... it's a school night. And I still need to write a poem for English class. Lmao. Thanks for reading and I'll continue the story soon. Have a good week! And don't forget to watch the Packers vs. Lions game this Sunday! :) GO, PACK, GO!**


	4. Reinforcements

_**The Heroes Of Olympus & The Surrounding Darkness**_

**Hey, so I just thought I'd say: Thank you so much for the lovely reviews I've gotten so far! They really put a smile on my face today when I got home from school. Please keep reviewing. I honestly don't care if it's a good or bad review, I just wanna know what I can do to make my story better. Also, I thought I'd mention that I'm not going to make any P.O.V.'s with Hazel or Frank and I'm not sure about Piper. It just seems like too much skipping around from character to character. Plus, I want to get more Percy and Jason into the story. It'll be kinda cool seeing through a werewolf and vampire's eyes, right?**

* * *

Leo Valdez P.O.V.

"Percy, please, just stop." Annabeth says, her eyes pink from crying.

He stands there, as if paralyzed.

"Percy," Piper says, obviously using charmspeak. "Listen to Annabeth. Back away from Lycaon now."

Percy looks up at her. He then removes Riptide from under Lycaon's chin and steps back.

Lycaon immediately moves to Circe's side. He glares at Percy while Circe smirks. She waves her hand dismissively and, as if by and invisible force, he flies back and hits the wall hard. He falls to the floor and crumples on his side and doesn't move. He's completely unconcious.

_I thought this was a dream. Is it possible for him to be unconcious? _I wonder.

"There we go." Circe says turning back to Annabeth. "Nothing holding us back from having some fun, huh Annabeth?"

Annabeth glares at her.

"There is one thing." I say. "Me." I break my hands and feet free of my chains. I've been working on that for a while, heating the chains just hot enough for them to give out.

For a moment, Circe looks at me with something like fear, but it easily turns to annoyance. And trust me, I know what that looks like.

"Leo, are you serious? Why put yourself up against me now? I can snap your neck with the flick of my wrist."

I roll my eyes, then look at her with my devilish smile that I've been working on for so many years. "Do you know what I can do with a flick of my wrist?"

She looks at me with astonishment. "What? Are you kidding me?"

I look at her seriously. "If I was kidding, you'd know it."

"You're a son of Hepheastus, what sort of powers can you possibly hold? You, Leo Valdez, are _nothing._" The way she says 'nothing' sends chills throughout my body, but I try my best to show no fear.

"Whatever you say, Lady." I purposely flick my wrist and Circe let's out a muffled scream as fire erupts around her. I look at Lycaon and the flames erupt around him too. I look at our other hosts and they take one step back. I run to Annabeth first, attempting to break her chains, but I don't have enought time.

The flames that surround Circe extinguish and she looks at me infuriated. She notices that Lycaon is trapped within my flames, so she waves her hand and the fire is completely gone almost instintaniously. She then shouts at me, "Leo Valdez, I have half a mind to kill you right now!"

I turn my body to face her. At both of my sides, my hands erupt in fire. "You ready for round two?"

Circe just looks at me mockingly. "Bring it on."

* * *

Annabeth Chase P.O.V.

_No, no, no! How could Leo be so stupid? She's going to tear him to shreds! _I think to myself.

When I thought about her 'tearing him to shreds,' I meant it as a figure of speech. I didn't think she'd actually do it.

Circe and Leo stand ready to attack. Leo makes the first move, which was a bad idea. As he runs at her, she swipes her hand through the air in front of her. There's an aweful slicing sound and Leo falls to his knees. The flames in his hands die out and he grips at his stomach. There's too much blood coming from his wound. He falls onto his side and lies there, unable to move any further.

"I'm actually suprised by you, demigods." Circe says addressing all of us. "You've put up quite a fight today. I'm somewhat impressed. Now I have a fire user? This day just keeps getting better. Where was I? Oh, yes! These gifts you possess are why you'll be perfect for the role I'll have you fulfill."

"Come on." I say by accident. I didn't mean for the words to actually come out. Everyone is looking at me and I have no choice but to continue. "Can't you just get whatever it is you're trying to do to us overwith already? Stop torturing everyone and get this done. There's obviously no way of us escaping so can't we move on with this?"

Circe chuckles with delight. "Oh, Annabeth. Torturing some of you is the only thing I can do to get you to do what I want. You, Annabeth, I'm finished with."

"What? What do you mean?"

"I mean you're already what I want you to be. Don't you hear yourself? You're quitting. Annabeth Chase has never been known to be a quitter, so that's what I had to drive you to: Quitting. You couldn't stand to see your friends beaten and tortured anymore so your only choice was to quit. Think about it. Have you ever given up even once in your life?"

I do think about that, and the fact is: I haven't. I've never given up. "No." I answer.

She smiles. "So, are you willing to do what I want you to, or do I have to break out my whip?"

No, I'm not going to give up that easily. "Whip me all you want, Circe, but I will never work for you."

"Hmm... Number one: I didn't mean I was going to whip you. I was planning on whipping Percy just to make you suffer. And number two: I'm pretty sure you mean you'll never _voluntarily _work for me."

"What do you mean?"

"Annabeth, my dear, do you remember the eidolons? I recall your last encounter wasn't so sweet. Well, I have some. Enough to possess all of you in fact, and no one at Camp Half-Blood would even notice you were acting different, I'm sure."

Leo groans on the floor. "Oh gods. Please not the eidolons again."

Circe giggles. "Poor Leo. You always did have the worst of luck when it came to the eidolons, didn't you?" She then begins to laugh out loud.

"Stop!" Lycaon shouts catching everyones attention. "Can you feel that?"

"Lycaon, what is it? Feel what?" Circe questions.

"That shift in the air. I can't tell what's causing it." All eyes seem to drift to Jason, who looks to be momentarily panicked. I also realize now that he's still on the floor, looking worse than ever. He seems to get more and more pale every time I look back at him.

"Woah," Jason says, stopping anyone from jumping to conclusions. "My powers don't work here, remember?"

"That's right." I say. "If Jason's powers don't work here, why did Leo's?"

"That's 'cause I'm just awesome." Leo says, still laying on the floor but with his eyes shut as if it requires too much effort.

Circe rolls her eyes, then walks toward Jason. She grabs his pant leg and lifts it, revealing a golden bracelet around his ankle. "This is why. I had Lycaon put these on whoever I thought may have powers that could be a threat. There's one on Percy, Frank, Hazel, and obviously Jason. I didn't think the rest of you would have any special powers that could actually come close to defeating me. In fact, Lycaon, put one of the bracelets on Leo."

Lycaon doesn't answer. Instead, he pauses for a moment, then says, "I can still feel it. It's getting stronger. I fear what I think it is."

"And what do think it is?"

He freezes. "Someone else is coming."

"What!" Circe shouts. "That is not possible. How do you know?"

"They somehow managed to connect dreams. I can feel their presence. It's only a matter of time before-" Lycaon never got the chance to finish.

Only inches before Circe stands my good friend, Nico.

Nico looks like he's in shock. His eyes widen as he stares into the piercing eyes of Circe. He must be completely clueless on what to do next because all he can stifle is, "Umm, hi."

"Nico!" I shout through sheer greatfulness.

"This isn't possible! How did you get here?" Circe shouts at Nico.

Nico takes a couple steps back and clearly states, "I took a nap."

Circe is in a murder rage. Without any warning, she swipes the air like she did with Leo, but nothing happens. Nico stands there, completely unharmed with his head crooked to the side like a confused puppy. Circe stands in mock suprise, until she recovers from her shock and tries again. Still, nothing happens.

"What are you trying to do?" Nico asks.

She ignores him and turns to Lycaon. "Kill him." She says with distaste.

"With pleasure." He grins and charges at Nico.

Nico throws up his hands to block the blow. Lycaon is thrown back and lands on the concrete. Nico stands up tall as if pleased with himself. Lycaon jumps to his feet and asks, "How did you do that?"

Nico half smiles and answers, "I entered this dream on my own, that makes it my dream and I can control it however I please."

* * *

**A/N I really don't have anything to say like I usually do. I hope you enjoyed and I'm glad you've kept up this far. Please review! I'll post the next chapter asap!**


	5. No Escape

The Heroes Of Olympus & The Surrounding Darkness

**Hey, so, I'm sorry that I did exactly what I said I wouldn't do. I've left you guys hanging for the last few months and I'm really sorry about that. I've been having a few issues at home. Plus, I have a bit of writer's block so please forgive me for anything stupid I might writer in this chapter. I'll try to get more done faster. Please enjoy~**

* * *

Percy Jackson P.O.V.

I wake with the worst headache I've ever gotton. It's seriously torture, probably even worse than what these dimwits are trying to do. There are spots in my vision as I try to see whats going on, and it easily passes. The first thing I see is Nico._ How did he get here?_

"The eidolons!" Circe shouts. "Send in the eidolons!"

"I don't think so." Nico mumbles. He throws up one arm and Circe flies back. As she hits the floor she screams in a mix of frustration and pain.

_What in Hades is Nico doing?_ I question. _How did he do that? What is going on?_

While the room goes quiet for a quick moment, Nico closes his eyes to focus. Every chain and cuff holding my friends down suddenly snaps off of their wrists and ankles. They all jump forward to get away from the chains as if they'll come alive and snatch them up again. Kind of like the time I was snatched up by Scylla when I was in the Sea of Monters with Annabeth and Tyson. That day really sucked.

I notice Jason and Leo are on the floor too. Leo is bleeding from his stomache and Jason looks like death. I don't mean Death- like, the god, _Death-_ but he just looks really pale and sickly. Trust me, I've met Death, also known as Thanatos, and Jason doesn't look nearly that good right now.

I try to move my arm but fail. It's completely numb and I can barely twitch my fingers. The rest of my body is working fine. I'm still a little tired but I feel stronger. More powerful. I feel like I can jump from rooftop to rooftop like the superheroes do in the movies.

I get to my feet, my arm limp at my side. I'm just glad that the pain has finally subsided.

"Uh, we should probably leave. Like, _now._" Piper says.

"Agreed." I say as I move to the door. I place my hand on the doorknob. I try to open it but it's locked. I think for a moment until I hear voices coming from down the hall on the other side of the door. "Guys, we've got incoming."

"What do we do?" Leo asks, trying to sit up.

Suddenly, the room goes dark. It gets colder.

"Oh gods, I can't see anything." Annabeth says, stating the obvious.

"Ouch!" Leo shrieks. "Okay, who just tripped over me?" A flame appears covering Leo's hand.

"Sorry, man." Jason says while turning his head in every direction, trying to find an escape. "Thanks for the light, though. You really do come in handy in situations like these."

"Well, I'm glad I can be of some use. Now how do we get out of here?"

"There is no way out." I say.

Annabeth sighs. "But there has to be some way."

"Any ideas?"

"I have one." Nico states. "Leo, you'll have to get to your feet for this."

Jason and I help Leo stand. Leo almost falls over but Jason catches him. "Alright, whatever we're doing, let's get it over with while I can still stand."

"Everyone, grab hands." Nico says as he grabs Annabeth and Hazel's hands.

We all connect hands, which Leo had to put out his flame to do, and wait for Nico's orders, but they never come.

Nico lets out a muffled shout as he flies forward and hits the wall. He falls hard on the floor.

"Nico!" Hazel shouts, but her body shoots backwards into the darkness unseen.

Leo lights the room with his flames again.

"Where'd she go?" Frank asks in a panicked voice.

I don't know what to do. My first instinct is to uncap Riptide, but before I could, something heavy hits my right side and shoves me into the wall. I groan as I push a table off of myself. I try to move but it's as if gravity is sucking me to the wall. "Guys, what is this?"

With the help of Leo's flame, I dimly see Nico run across the room and plow into Circe. They both grunt as they topple to the ground. She punches Nico in his jaw but he quickly recovers. He grabs a clump of her hair and bashes her head against the stone floor. She goes out cold and the force keeping me against the wall vanishes. I land on my feet and run to Nico. "Hey, are you okay?"

He spits out some blood and says, "Yeah, I'm fine but where's Hazel?"

"I'm here." She says as she walks into the light. She has a long cut across her forehead. "Let's just get out of here before anything else gets in our way."

The door suddenly starts rattling as the backup tries to get in. "Took them long enough." I say to myself.

"Everyone, grab hands now." Nico says.

Leo extinguishes his flame and we grab hold of each other's palms. "Everybody ready?" Nico asks.

"Yes." We say in unison.

"On the count of three, we need to all run forward into the wall."

There's a brief silence until Jason breaks it asking, "What?"

"Just run into the wall. You have to trust me."

Another moment of silence, but everyone agrees.

"One. Two." Just then, the door flies open and the backup starts to crowd in. "Three!" We all run at the wall.

I brace for impact but it never comes. Instead, we go straight through, completely untouched. "Don't stop running! Keep going until I say!" Nico shouts for us all to hear.

We keep going. I'm not sure how long this went for, but eventually we pass through the wall to the outdoors. I smell the fresh air, which is weird because this is a dream. A really, really lucid dream. In fact, I smell more than just fresh air. I can smell the sea. It can't be that far from where I stand.

"Okay, Chiron told me that we need to get as far from here as possible." Nico begins. "It'll disconnect the dreams and we'll wake up at camp."

"Where do you expect we go?" Frank asks and points to my left. I see that there is a cliff. _Below the cliff is__ where the ocean must be!_

Nico points to my right. I see a dark forest with swamplands surrounding it. I remember the time I almost drowned in the marsh when I was in Alaska with Frank and Hazel. I recall the excruciating pain of suffocating in the thick muck. It took so long for my friends to find me and pull me out. Ever since that day, I still have a fear of drowning.

"I guess we'll just have to go that way." Nico confirms.

"Are you sure?" I cut in quickly. I didn't mean for it to sound like that. I just don't want a repeat of that cold day in Alaska. I look to Frank and Hazel and I can tell by their expressions that they know exactly what I'm thinking. I continue, "I mean, don't you think they'll be able to catch us if we go that way? Uh, maybe we can go down instead. Underground. Hazel, can you sense any tunnels?"

"No." She answers. "The ground is dense. There's not a single tunnel anywhere that I know of."

"Perfect." I say through gritted teeth.

"Percy, that's our best chance. We have to try." Nico says.

"I understand, but how will we get through the swamp?"

"I guess, if neither of you mind, Jason and Frank can fly a few people over while the rest of us swim."

"I'm cool with that." Jason says. Frank nods.

Annabeth steps froward. "What about the braclets on their ankles? They can't use their powers until we get them off."

Jason crouches on one knee and lifts his pant leg to get a good look at his braclet. He studies it and says, "I think magic is the only thing that can get them off."

"Or this." Nico says and snaps his fingers. The braclets fall off.

"Thanks." Jason says, getting back up.

Leo then falls but Frank catches him. Leo contains no strength to keep moving. He's almost completely unconcious.

"Jason, Frank, will one of you take him across first?" Nico asks.

Jason speaks up first. "I will."

Frank offers, "Hazel, if you want, I can take you across..?"

Hazel cracks a small smile. "Sure. Let's go."

Jason grabs Leo the way a groom would hold a bride after their wedding. "I'll come back for you after, Piper, if it's cool with you?"

She nods and he flies off towards the woods. Hazel climbs onto Frank's back and he morphs into an eagle and soars away in Jason's direction.

"Alright." Nico says, rubbing his hands together as if satisfied with his work. "Let's get going."

Suddenly, a sharp pain erupts in my head and I can't help but let out a pathetic wail of agony.

I fall to my knees, my eyes beginning to water. My ears are ringing and my vision is blurring. I can barely make out the words that come out of my friends mouths.

"Percy! What happened?"

"What is it? Where's the pain coming from?"

"Can you hear us? Percy, can you speak?"

The last words I hear before everything goes black come from Annabeth.

"What is he becoming?"

* * *

**A/N- So, you bros like the ending? I promise I'll try to finish the next chapter as soon as I can. I want to get it done by tomorrow but I'm a bit of a procrastinator. Well, I really hope you enjoyed. The next chapter is gonna be pretty awesome if it turns out the way I want(:**


	6. Decisions

_**The Heroes Of Olympus & The Surrounding Darkness**_

**Alright, this is my favorite chapter so far, so I really hope you all enjoy it(:  
Remember to review!**

* * *

Annabeth Chace P.O.V.

"I don't understand." I say, watching my boyfriend, completely horror struck.

"Lycaon bit him, remember?" Nico asks me, while holding me back.

I try to reach him, but they restrain me. I must reach Percy. Watching him in all of this pain is too much for me to bear. "Please, just let me go!"

"No!" Piper shouts. She also restrains me, her grip is so tight. "Annabeth, we need to leave _now! _Come on!"

I feel my will breaking. Piper must've been using charmspeak. I no longer need to comfort Percy, I just need to leave. I need to run into the woods to get away from these monsters. Now, my best friend is one of them.

I turn around immediately. "Let's go." I say as I run between them and into the swamp.

The mucky waters start at my ankles, then to my knees, and now reach my thighs. With every step, I sink further and further down, until finally, the waters reach my chin and I am swimming.

I look ahead and see Jason, so far away, placing Leo on the soft grass. Then appears Frank landing on his two talons. Hazel jumps off his back and runs to Leo's aid. Jason and Frank jump into the air again and start flying in our direction.

Then I hear Piper and Nico behind me. They're screaming, "Annabeth! Annabeth, come back!"

I can't stop now. I _must _get to the forest. I have to get away from this place.

I keep swimming, but turn around and shout, "No, both of you need to follow me!"

That's when I see it. Something that looks like a giant snake slithering through the water between me and my friends.

"Ahhh!" Nico shouts as he's tackled by Percy.

Percy still looks human, only somewhat different. Some of his features have changed. His eyes are a brighter shade of green, almost like they're glowing. And he looks somewhat _hairier_. His fingernails have turned to claws. But his teeth are what scares me most, they've become fangs.

Piper doesn't know where to direct her attention. She turns to me and shouts, "Annabeth, get out of the water! Come towards me!" She spins her body to face the boys, "Percy, get off of him!"

I feel the sudden urge to swim back to Piper. I start swimming towards her, but I'm stopped by the monster lurking in the same waters as me. It slides across my leg and I feel it's cold, slimy touch. "Oh gods."

"Annabeth, behind you!" Nico shouts as he tries to pry Percy away from him.

I spin around and the first thing I see is a giant monster swimming straight at me with it's mouth wide open, ready to swallow me whole. It must have hundreds of teeth, judging by what I can see.

I mistakenly scream when something grabs me by my armpits and lifts me out of the water just as the giant creature snaps it's mouth shut where I was only moments ago. I look up to see Jason, grim-faced and determined, but so pale. He looks so sick. I turn my attention and notice Frank is right behind him.

"What happened to Percy?" Jason asks me.

"He was bitten by a werewolf so now he's one." I answer.

He sets me down by Piper who still doesn't seem to know what to do. She watches in horror as the boys fight.

As if Piper's charmspeak just wore off out of the blue, I leap into action. I'm ready to try my best to separate the boys, but I don't need to. Nico finally kicks Percy flat in the chest, sending Percy sprawling onto the ground a few feet away.

Percy recovers immediately and jumps to his feet. He charges at Nico again but doesn't make it so far. Nico throws up his hands to block the blow like he did earlier with Circe and Lycaon, and Percy is thrown backwards ten feet. He lands and groans in a way I've never heard him. He tries to stand but finds that he can't. He screams out loud when he puts pressure onto his anckle, to discover that it must be broken.

"What do we do?" I ask anyone who's listening.

Piper steps forward and points at Percy while looking him straight in the eyes. "Percy, sleep!"

Percy seems barely effected by her words. He becomes somewhat drowsy but nowhere near ready to sleep. He turns to face me and looks me in the eyes with a sympathetic look to him. I just want to run forward and hug him so bad.

"Percy," Piper says again pouring every ounce of power into her charmspeak, "_sleep_."

He falls unconcious immediately.

I feel panick swell up inside me as I stare at the unconcious body of my boyfriend who is now a_ werewolf_. That's a lot to take in.

"Okay, now that that's over, we should get going." Frank states.

Suddenly, the sky turns dark, full of storm clouds. We all look up. A streak of lightening almost hits Jason, and he jumps and almost lands on Piper.

Everyone looks down to the spot where the lightning struck to see a man in purple robes standing in the center of our attention. He's the same man from earlier in our cell where we were chained up. He'd entered the room with Lycaon and Lamia. I'd completely forgotten about him. In fact, I forgot about Lamia too, and she must not be too far behind this guy.

"Who are you?" Nico asks the man.

The man doesn't reply. He only turns his body to face Nico. He begins to chuckle under his hood.

Nico thrusts his hands towards the man as if to push him away like he had with Percy and our other wonderful hosts, not even needing to touch them, but nothing happens to the man. He only grins bigger at the foiled attempt.

"I will not cause any harm to you." He claims. "I've only come to give you something. A gift."

The robed man reaches into a compartment within his robes and pulls out a jar. It's only a common jam jar, but nothing inside. He steps forward and gives it to Nico. "Open it." The man says, and in a puff of smoke, he is gone.

Nico looks to the rest of us. "Do I open it?"

We all exchange glances. Piper is the first to speak up, "I think you should."

"I don't know if that's such a good idea." I say. "I mean, we have no idea what could be in that. It could be another monster waiting to devour us."

"But it might not be." Frank states. "It could be our ticket home."

"I'm with Frank and Piper on this one." Jason says.

Nico contemplates for a moment. He makes a decision and says, "Alright, I'll open it."

He pops the lid off and, honestly, the most unexpected thing happens.

_Nothing_. Absolutely nothing.

"Well, that was a waste of time." Jason says.

"Yeah, let's just forget about it and get going." Piper says. "We should really move. Those reinforcements could get hear at any time."

As if on cue, a freaking _missile_ lands somewhere nearby, sending us sprawling. I stand with difficulty, and search for where the missile had come from. I easily spot a tank driving towards us. "Crap, guys, we need to move now."

"Jason is out cold." Piper says.

I think for few seconds. "Umm.. Frank! Can you fly across the swamp and get Hazel and Leo? Then fly them as far away as you can until you're released from the dream?"

"Got it." He nods. He transforms into an eagle again and flies off.

"Okay, Nico, can you carry one of the boys?" I ask.

"Sure thing." He grabs Percy off the ground and lifts him into his arms as if he weighed nothing. Seeing Percy, he looks like himself again. Not a werewolf, but human.

"Piper, you and I will get Jason." We lift his body into our arms. _Wow, he's heavy._

"Where do we go now?" Nico asks.

I turn to see the tank is getting closer. It's barely the length of a football field away. "The cliff!"

We begin running. After about a minute of this we reach the edge of the cliff. I look over and see the shore. It looks like the ocean is down there, but this is just a dream, so I know it's not real. I also see the rocks at the bottom.

Nico speaks up, "What if it's not far enough? What if we hit the rocks, or land in the water and get smashed into pancakes?"

"We have to try." I answer. I look back at the tank just as it fires another missile at us. "Jump now!"

We all jump over the edge just as the missile shoots over our heads. Just before we all hit the water, the world goes black.

The next thing I know, I'm laying in a cot in the infirmary at Camp Half-Blood.

"Oh, thank the gods!" Chiron says and canters over to my bed. "What happened? Please, explain everything."

To my left, I hear Piper gasp as she sits straight up in her bed. On the other side of her, I hear Jason coughing as he wakes up in his own cot. Past Jason, I see Nico stand and walk towards Chiron.

To my right, I spot Percy. He blinks as he wakes. He lets out a groan, but it sounds like him this time. He turns his head and sees me. "Annabeth?"

"Percy!" I shout, filled with happiness. I jump out of my bed and grasp him in a big hug. "I'm so glad to see that you're yourself again!"

"What do you mean?" He asks in a melancholy tone.

"Uh..." I don't know how to answer this question delicately. "I'll explain everything later."

He smiles as he looks me in the eyes. I stare back into his beautiful green eyes, but all I can think of are those glowing, evil eyes that were once his.

"I'm so sorry to rain on your parade," Chiron says. "But why aren't these three awake yet?"

I look past Percy and see that Frank, Hazel, and Leo are still asleep.

Leo has been wrapped up around his stomache to stop the bloodflow from that horrible slice Circe had at him.

"Something must've gone wrong." I answer. "They should've been back by now."

* * *

**A/N So, this is seriously my best chapter I've written so far. I really like it and I hope you do too! Please review and I would really love it if you would give me some ideas on what to do next because I'm stuck between a few ideas. I'll have the next chapter up soon :-)**


	7. Last Breath

_**The Heroes Of Olympus & The Surrounding Darkness**_

**I really enjoyed writing this chapter. I love writing through Leo's point of view so it was pretty fun. I'm trying to capture their individual personalities better. It's a bit hard for me though. I am really enjoying myself writing these fanfictions and I just wanted to say a quick thank-you to all of my followers and really anyone who enjoys reading and keeping up with my story(:**

* * *

Leo Valdez P.O.V.

Everything is fuzzy. I'm trying so hard to stay awake. Hazel is sitting next to me, waiting for our friends to show up so we can get out of here.

"Leo, are you still with me?" Hazels asks. She kneels by my side.

"Yeah." I whisper, trying not to use too much of my strength.

"Frank is on his way. He'll take us out of here. Leo?"

I don't reply, mostly because I'm almost asleep and somewhat because I don't feel like talking.

"Keep your eyes open, Leo." Hazel says while shaking my shoulder.

"I'm just resting them." I say, still whispering my words.

"No. I want to see your eyes open. Focus them on me."

I open my eyes and see Hazel's beautiful face staring down at me. Frank is very lucky to have her.

"How are you feeling?" She asks.

"Tired." I reply. "When can I sleep?"

"You are sleeping." Hazel jokes.

"Very funny." I say with a small smile.

Frank swoops down next to Hazel and turns back into his human form. He surveys the area, then kneels by Hazel. "Hey, Leo. How are you holding up?"

I look him in the eyes. "I'm just peachy. How about yourself?" I say sarcastically.

"Wait, Frank, where is Jason?" Hazel interrupts. "I thought you were going to pick up the others?"

"Oh yeah." Frank realizes. "When Jason and I got across the swamp, Percy sorta turned into a werewolf. He attacked Nico, but Nico got him down and Piper made him go unconsious. Then, this weird guy in purple robes showed up and gave us a jar, but there was nothing in it. And after that, this missile hit somewhere nearby, and Jason got knocked out. That's when they sent me to come get you guys and take you away from here as soon as possible."

Hazel and I sit with our mouths gaping.

"So, we should get going then." He says.

"Uh, yeah." Hazel confirms. "Let's go."

Frank helps me sit up and everything turns different colors. I almost fall over again. "Jeez, Leo." Frank says. "You really don't look too good. You've lost a lot of blood."

"I know." I reply. I can't wait to get out of here.

Frank helps me to my feet and I extend my arm over his shoulder.

"Hazel," Frank says, "are you ready to-"

"Guys, look out!" Hazel screams from a distance. I could've sworn she was right behind us.

Suddenly, a force so strong pushes from behind us and sends us sailing through the air. I land on my side and almost black out. I know I'm still awake because I can hear someone talking. A woman. Her voice sounds familiar, but I can't put my finger on it.

"You aren't leaving that easily." She says.

I hear fighting. The ground is shaking. After a minute of this, my vision clears and what I see horrifies me.

It's Lamia. She has Hazel in a headlock. Frank stands there with his eyes wide. "Don't move or the girl gets it!" Lamia shouts at him.

"Please," Frank begs. "Don't hurt her."

"You will do as I say and nobody will get hurt." Lamia replies. "Just don't move. I won't think twice about killing her."

Lucky she didn't say anything to me. I focus on Lamia's feet and a burst of flames erupt around them. She shrieks and releases Hazel. Hazel stumbles out of the way and looks at me. She mouths the words "Thank you."

I give her a thumbs-up.

The next thing I know, I'm being dragged away from my friends by my arm _really_ fast. I look up and see Lamia pulling me. I was about to light this freak on fire when I suddenly fly through the air and my arm feels numb. With a _splash_, I land in the swamp head first.

I'm so disoriented, I can't tell which way is up and which is down. I open my eyes but the water is so mucky and gross, I'm forced to close them because of the stinging.

Something slinks past my arm. It's big, scaly, and slimy.

_Oh, gods. Now what? _I wonder. _Why can't we ever just have an easy day without any freaking monsters?_

The creature slides past my other arm.

My lungs feel like they're about to burst. I need air _now_.

I stop moving completely and open my eyes. I can't see any light anywhere so I turn to my left and swim that way. I hit my head on a rock and accidentally inhale water.

I choke as I try to find any source of air. Adrenaline is the only thing that's been keeping me going this long, and I'm not sure how much longer I can make it.

Then I see it. I see light coming from the surface. I swim towards it as my vision begins to blur. My lungs have been invaded by water and I can feel my consiousness fading.

I reach forward and my hand breaks the surface, but just before I can get my head above water, I finally lose consiousness.

* * *

Jason Grace P.O.V.

I was relieved to see Hazel wake, and she says Frank and Leo should any minute.

But we're still waiting.

"Hazel, where were they when you disconnected the dreams?" I ask.

"Well, Lamia showed up and started attacking." Hazel begins to explain with tears in her eyes. "Leo saved me but she grabbed him and threw him into the swamp. He couldn't even stand before she did that so I don't know if he was able to swim. I'm honestly not sure if he _will_ wake."

We all stop to look at Leo's body. He appears to be drenched in water. That must be from his swim in the swamp. He's so pale too, probably because he's lost so much blood. And -call me crazy- I think I can _smell _his blood. It smells sweet, almost like a rose.

"Can you keep going?" Chiron asks Hazel.

She nods. "After Lamia threw him into the swamp, she just left. Frank and I were in the sky by then and he didn't give me a choice but to leave the dream immediately. He flew me far away from there and dropped me off past the woods. I kept running and he turned back to save Leo. Then I woke up here."

"Hmm.. this is troubling." Chiron firmly states.

Suddenly, Frank jumps out of his bed.

"Frank! You're okay!" Hazel says with a smile on her face.

Frank ignores her and runs to Leo's bed. He starts pushing on Leo's chest.

"Frank, what are you doing?" Nico asks.

"Leo was drowning when I got to him." He answers. "He has water in his lungs. Please, I need help!"

Everyone stands back to give him some room besides Hazel. She runs to the bed.

After about a minute, we were all ready to give up. We thought Leo was gone, but Frank didn't give up so easily. Thanks to Frank, Leo started coughing and spitting the water out. We're all so relieved.

Leo looks at Frank and says, "You didn't kiss me, did you?"

"Oh, gods! No, that's disgusting!" Frank replies.

Everyone laughs briefly.

"Thanks, man." Leo says to Frank.

Frank smiles back.

Chiron steps forward. "I'm glad to see that everyone's alright. You should all get some rest now. You must be tired."

Everyone exchanges looks. "I'm not tired at all." Leo breaks in. "I'm just hungry. What time is it?"

"Six-thirty at night." Chiron replies.

"So dinner is just starting. Perfect!" Leo says with a big grin.

Now that I think about it, I'm hungry too. _Really _hungry.

Leo gets out of bed but clutches his stomache. "I'm going to the mess hall. Anyone who wants to can join me."

All of us agree to go, exept for Chiron. He says he has some work to get done.

Once we get there, the eight of us sit at my table so we can talk.

Frank explains everything that happened after he made Hazel leave the dream. "I went back to save Leo and spotted him drowning in that disgusting water. I grabbed him by the arm and pulled him out. We landed by the woods and I tried to expell the water from his lungs but it wasn't working. Then, the dream just disconnected. I didn't have to get as far away as possible or anything. It was like the hosts ended it themselves."

"That's weird." I say, while picking at my plate of food. For some reason, I just can't eat any of it. "Couldn't they have easily just captured you and Leo?"

"That's what I thought." Frank says. "But, I'm confused about what happened with Percy?"

Percy looked suprised by his words. "I'm not really sure what you mean. I just remember pain. So much pain. After that, everything went black. Then, I woke up in the infirmary. Did anything else happen?" He asks Annabeth.

"Uh..." She thinks momentarily. "Can I explain everything later? Maybe a walk down the beach? Piper and Jason should join us."

Annabeth looks to Piper and I can tell they've been talking about something that Percy and I don't know about. Unless it's just the fact that Percy's been bitten by a werewolf and Annabeth doesn't want to be alone with him.

"Sounds good." Piper replies. She grabs my hand but pulls away quickly. "You're so cold, Jason."

"You are looking pretty pale." Nico says. "I heard you were bitten by-"

"It's nothing, Nico!" Piper snaps at him. "Let's just drop it."

"No, what is it, guys?" I ask them.

"I can explain everything later, Jason. It's okay." Piper says.

"Just tell me. He was saying something about me being bitten by Lamia. What more is there to it?"

"I want to know too." Percy says to Annabeth. "I want to know what else happened in the dream."

"Okay." Piper answers. "You were both bitten tonight. Percy was bitten by Lycaon and Jason was bitten by Lamia."

"Percy," Annabeth continues for Piper. "Because you were bitten by Lycaon, you... you've become a werewolf."

"And Jason," Piper takes over. "You've become a vampire."

Those words struck me hard... but not as hard as I'm about to strike Leo.

I jump over the table and grab his shoulders, throwing him out of his seat and onto the floor.

"Jason! What are you doing?" Leo shouts at me. I don't care though. I can smell the blood. _His_ blood. He's still wearing the same shirt and it still has some blood on it. I can't help myself. I _need _some of my best friend's blood.

The whole caferteria is going mad. With kids screaming, trying to get away from me, a food fight breaks out.

"Jason, please stop!" Leo pleads.

I open my mouth, ready to strike my best friend down. I will be Leo Valdez's end. The last face he ever sees.

* * *

**A/N So, I'm sorry that this chapter is a bit slow. I'll try to make the next chapter better, promise! Spoiler alert: CAPTURE THE FLAG! That's what they'll be doing in the next chapter and I'm excited to start writing it! REVIEW PLEASE!**


	8. Looking For Trouble

_**The Heroes Of Olympus & The Surrounding Darkness**_

**Alright. This chapter was really hard to write so I just wanted to point out that I don't mean for it to suck so bad. Sorry for anything stupid I might write :-P**

* * *

Piper McLean P.O.V.

_He's a vampire._

"Get off him now!" I scream, but it's no use. He isn't going to stop.

"Jason," Leo pleads. "Please, listen to me. You don't know what your doing."

"Yes, I do." Jason replies. He looks evil. Nothing like himself. I see his fangs, he's about to sink them into Leo's neck. But I notice something else. Something that I've seen before. It infuriates me, that painful memory. With his eyes glowing gold, I remember: _the eidolons._

"He's been posessed by an eidolon again!" Annabeth confims.

Percy jumps onto Jason's back and Jason stifles backwards. With Percy still on his back, he twists and knocks Percy onto the ground. Jason jumps on top of Percy, but I notice Percy doesn't look quite like himself either. He's in his werewolf form again, probably not even realizing that he is.

"Boys, sleep!" I shout at them, but they don't do so much as blink. Instead, about a dozen boys across the cafeteria trying to make their escape collapse to the floor. "Crap, that's not what I wanted to happen." I explain to Annabeth who only glares at me.

Jason raises his fist and punches Percy hard in the face. Percy spits blood and tries desperately to get up.

My mind is racing. I can't let either of them get hurt. I do the only thing that comes to mind: I run to Jason and I kiss him. I know, I know- lame, cheesy, not very smart on my part. But what Jason does shocks me and I'm sure everyone else watching. He hits me. He smacks me across the face and I stumble back, tripping over my own foot and landing on my butt.

Leo is by my side faster than I would imagine possible in his condition. "Are you alright?" He asks me and I nod.

I turn back to Jason, and he's intently staring at me. His expression looks guilty, like a kindergardener who accidentally broke his friend's new crayon. But more than that, he looks unsure of himself, like he can't make up his mind.

Percy jumps to his feet behind Jason, but Jason doesn't notice. Jason, watches me with content eyes, his expression turning dull. Then he shakes himself out of it. "Piper, I am-"

Percy grabs Jason by the shoulder and spins him around. Percy, with his own fist raised next to his cheek, looks Jason in the eyes, ready to strike. But he doesn't. Instead, he lowers his arm and unclenches his hand. He releases Jason's shoulder and Jason turns around to face me again. I see now that his eyes are no longer glowing gold.

"Piper, I swear, I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm so sorry about this... about everything." He smoothly walks towards me and kneels beside me. He looks to Leo and clearly states, "I'm sorry to you too, man. I don't know what came over me. I just got so hungry out of nowhere, and I could smell the blood on your shirt. I'm guessing it's because of the bite." He looks at his arm and raises the sleeve, revealing a slight scar in the place where Lamia had bitten him.

"It's okay." Leo answers. "You're a vampire now. That must've been your first _blood lust_." Jason and I look at him curiously. "What? There is nothing wrong with a grown boy reading vampire romance novels." He grins jokingly, but I have a feeling what he just said wasn't really a joke.

"What now?" Percy walks over and asks us. "Repeat of last time? Piper uses her charmspeak to get the eidolons out of whoever they're in?"

"That's probably the best idea." I answer. "How about we do this somewhere else. Somewhere private."

"The woods." Percy announces. "We can go to the woods and get rid of these freaking eidolons... again."

Nico steps forward. "I say we do it. It's worth a try, right?"

* * *

Nico DiAngelo P.O.V.

We just left those sleeping boys on the floor of the mess hall. I thought we should have at least told someone to help them but I guess we were all in a hurry to get rid of these eidolons again. Though I wasn't around the first time, of course. Instead, I was having a wonderful time stuffed in a jar by a couple of giants with no food, water, and hardly enough oxygen to survive. Lucky that I have my friends to help me out whenever I get into stupid situations like that. I'd be dead if they didn't get to me when they did.

We walk through the woods in silence. Nobody has anything to talk about, I guess. Though I would be happy to oblige. "Anyone know what time it is?" Sure, maybe not the best way to start off a conversation, but I couldn't think of anything else to say.

"I think it's 7:30 but I'm not sure." Annabeth answers. "Somewhere you need to be?"

I don't know where the sudden edge in her voice came from but I decided to answer her honestly. "No, no. I was just curious." Quick, if I want to get this conversation started, I gotta think of things to say. "So, how's your day been going?"

_Oh, my gods. I did not just say that._

She looks at me as if I just punched her between the eyes. "Nico, what are you doing?"

"What? I don't know what you mean."

"Why are you acting strange? I've never seen you so... _upbeat_ before. Especially in the situation we're in."

_Hmmm... she's completely right. And I have absolutely no idea why I'm acting like this. _"I guess I'm kind of tired. And a little nervous." I answer. "I just have such a bad feeling about this. Something is about to go horribly wrong. I know it."

No one replies. I have a good idea they feel the same way.

We keep walking for only a few minutes, then we reach Zeus' Fist.

"This seems like a good enough place, if you ask me." Frank says.

"Yeah," Hazel agrees. "Let's just do this and get back to camp. It's going to get dark soon."

"Okay." Piper says. "Eidolons, raise your right hand _now._"

Nothing happens.

"Eidolons." Piper says with more power than before. "Raise your right hand. _Now_."

Everyone pauses, waiting for any reactions. Still, nothing happens.

"_Eidolons_." Piper says with so much power, I feel it working... on me. "_Show yourselves_."

I raise my right hand into the air. _Crap, this is just fantastic. There's some sort of ghost possessing me. Can this day get any better?_

Just then, a loud shout coming from a male echoed through the woods. Then came the sound of battle cries and shrieks began all around us.

I turn my head to see my friends. Everyone's right hand is raised into the air besides Hazel's and Leo's. Even Piper raises her hand.

"I forgot," Leo says, "tonight is capture the flag."

Everything begins getting fuzzy at this point, kind of like my brain keeps turning on and off at random times. When everything is finally clear to me, I look around and I'm drenched in water, sitting on my butt, with Clarisse holding a spear point inches from my face.

"Clarisse, what are you-" I'm cut off by Clarisse driving her spear into the ground at her feet. She paces for a moment, glancing at me every few seconds.

She finally walks towards me again and asks, "What was that?"

I don't quite understand the question because I have no idea what happened while I was drifting in and out of consciousness. "I don't know. What happened? What did I do?"

"It wasn't just you." She answers. "It was your whole group of losers. All of you except Leo and Hazel just tried to kill a bunch of campers and each other. You seriously don't remember that?"

I shake my head. She reaches out a hand to help me up and I accept it. "Thanks." I mutter.

She yanks her spear free from the dirt at our feet. "We should go help the others. Only a few campers were hurt, but I'm sure they could use the extra help in the infirmary." She turns to face me, looking directly into my eyes. "Are you sure you're better? You aren't going to go crazy on us again?"

"No, I don't think I will." I answer. I hear another battle cry coming from not too far from where I stand. "Is the game still going on?"

"Yeah." Clarisse nods. "Most of the camp doesn't know about your little episode, trying to kill whoever crosses you. I talked to Hazel and Leo and they're keeping an eye out for the campers that are still in the game. The only problem is... we don't know where Annabeth, Jason, Percy or Piper are. I saw Jason not far from here about five minutes ago but I couldn't keep up with him. Then I saw you. You were about to stab a girl from the Athena cabin."

I try to remember but can't. I don't remember doing any of this. This must be what it feels like to be controlled by an eidolon. "Gods, I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing to me?" Clarisse taunts. "There are other campers out there who could be getting hurt and we need to go help them."

I nod. "Maybe we should split up? You help the injured and I'll go looking for the others."

"Alright. I think Jason is that way, but I can't be sure." She points down the river which flows smoothly behind me. "I'll be hanging around Zeus's Fist, since that's where this all got started." She runs in the opposite direction that I'm headed.

I've been searching for them for about fifteen minutes. Suddenly, a heavy force pushes me into a bush. I jump to me feet and reach for my sword, only to find that it's not there. _Where is that stupid thing now?_

My offender runs at me again, but I tuck and roll out of the way. I can't see their face because it's hidden behind a helmet. It's definitely a guy, judging by his burly figure. He holds a sword so big, it must weigh a ton. This guy isn't going to be easy to beat.

"Please, I'm not in the game. Just let me-" Just then, searing pain bolts through my right side and I fall to my knees, wailing in agony. I look to my side and an arrow is lodged into my rib cage. Blood begins to stain my shirt. I look up to see the boy, who was just attacking me, staring at me in shock. Then, an arrow appears in his left leg and he falls backwards, clutching at his left calf.

I look to the direction the arrows had come to see a hooded figure lurking on a tree branch. They wear a dark green cloak with the hood covering their face. They slip behind the base of the tree and are gone.

I look back to the boy and say, "We need to get out of here. Can you move?"

He grunts once, then replies in a low voice, "I think so. Not very fast but I think I can."

"Good." I try my best to stand but can't. "I can't do it. You need to get help. I have a friend treating the injured at Zeus's Fist. She'll help you. I'll be fine here."

"No, you won't. You could get killed."

"Don't worry about me. You can tell her to send help to find me. For now-" I spot a large stick that should be a good size for this guy, "use that branch as a cane and get to her. You have to go now."

He nods. He throws off his helmet and tosses it to me, along with his sword. "Use those. Keep yourself safe." He grabs the branch and stands. He begins to walk forward, away from me, down the river, towards Clarisse.

I watch him as he limps away, and once he's out of sight, I lay down my head and close my eyes.

_Am I really going to survive this?_


	9. Fighting Hunger

**The**_** Heroes Of Olympus & The Surrounding Darkness**_

**So, I gotta say again, if you have any thoughts on what should happen next in the story, don't be afraid to share them. Private message me. I'd love to hear your ideas. I'm honestly not sure where the story should go from here. I know how it'll end but I need more in the middle. More plot twists. More action. And I'm sure any ideas would be of great use to me.  
****Thanks for reading this far!**

* * *

Jason Grace P.O.V.

When I open my eyes, I'm squatting in a tree. Literally, I'm maybe thirty feet in the air, standing on a tree branch. How I got here? I don't know. Obviously, it had something to do with the eidolons.

I realize I'm holding in my right hand a bow, and in my left I hold a quiver of arrows. And I'm wearing some sort of forest-green cloak. I shake the hood off my head. I notice the sun is setting in the distance. I should get back to camp.

A groan comes from not far away. I turn my head in every direction, looking for the source. I look around the tree and spot Nico lying on the ground. There's an arrow jutting straight out of his chest. I look at the bow and quiver in my hands. _Did I do that?_

I'm about to jump out of the tree and run to him when I notice the blood. I can see it, and there's a lot of it. The smell is amazing, it's so strong. It smells just like Leo's did earlier. _Roses_.

I don't want to attack Nico like I did with Leo. Nico's completely defenseless here. Nobody around to protect him... from me.

And what if I was the one who shot him with an arrow? How could he ever trust me again? Maybe he already saw my face and knows that I'm the one who shot him.

I hear the murmur of voices coming from somewhere below me. I lean across the branch to get a look. I see two campers, a boy and a girl, both wearing orange Camp-Half Blood tee-shirts. The boy carries a lantern and the girl carries medical supplies. They must be looking for Nico, thank gods. As they proceed in walking forward, they spot Nico lying on the dirt. "There he is!" The boy shouts.

They run to Nico's side and the girl pops her medical supply case open. She takes a good look at the arrow in Nico's side. "I don't know if I can heal this on my own." She states. "He's lost too much blood. We have to take him back to camp. Where's the walkie-talkie?" The boy unclips it from his belt and hands it to her. "Number two to base camp." She says into the microphone.

"Base camp. What's the news?" The voice in the walkie-talkie replies.

"Nico DiAngelo is severely injured. It appears an arrow was shot into his chest. His rib cage is damaged badly. We need somone to come pick him up. We'd do it but I don't want to fracture his ribs any worse."

"Copy that. Chiron is on his way with two other campers. Stay where you're at, we need your coordinates."

"We copy. Over." She hands the walkie-talkie back to the boy who clips it to his belt again. She takes some nectar from her case and feeds it to Nico, and he groans.

They sit in silence for a couple minutes, waiting for the backup to arrive. I wait in the tree, just trying to make sure they all get out of the woods safely. It's getting darker, I almost can't see the two campers or Nico from my spot in the tree. I decide to get closer.

As I jump to another tree branch, my foot slips and I fall through the air, landing on my back as I hit the hard ground. It didn't really hurt, but my bones ache. I sit up and rub my head. I look around and notice the boy and girl staring at me with wide eyes.

"Uh..." _What do I say?_ "I just thought I'd drop in." _Gods. I'm stupid._

"Who are you?" The boy asks.

I stare at him a moment, thinking of what to say. The girl seems to have already noticed me holding a bow and arrows. I hope it's too dark for them to see my face. They can't know that I shot Nico. It's not like I meant to. It was the eidolons, not me. Now what should I do?

I turn around, throw my hood over my head, and run as fast as I can. What else could I have done?

I feel the wind hitting my face as I speed along through the woods. _Wait a second, what about Nico and the two kids? They barely looked like they could be fourteen, I can't just leave them alone in the woods at night. I have to go back, but I can't be seen. _I immediately stop and begin running in the opposite direction.

As I run, I realize something very odd. It's like time is slowing down, but I'm still running as fast as I always have. I watch as the leaves on the trees rustle in slow-motion. I run and run until I finally reach them, and once I stop so abruptly, time begins to speed up to it's usual pace.

I stand behind a tree, peeking my head around to see the two campers and Nico's unconscious body. Instead of only the three, there are two more campers and Chiron. Nico is still unconscious, but he's been placed gentley onto Chiron's back. They're beginning to head back to camp. I follow.

About ten minutes later, I can see the lights of the camp. They're just ahead. I really hope Nico is okay. I don't know what I'd do if I found out that I killed him.

Then, something moves in the bushes to my left. A large, gray squirrel jumps out, munching on an acorn. It has a small cut on it's back. I smell the blood but it doesn't smell like my friend's blood did. The squirrel's blood smells... like maple, very sweet.

I notice my mouth watering. I know that I'm a vampire now, and it's been a while since I've eaten anything, but I can't deprive myself to sucking the blood of this poor squirrel. It's cruel and heartless. But what else is there to do? I'm starving.

_No, I will _not _drink the blood of an innocent squirrel. Though it is just a squirrel, I won't take it's life just to feed myself dinner. I'll figure something else out._

I keep walking towards camp. I realize that my bow and arrows, which I still don't know where they came from, are still being clutched in my hands. My knuckles hurt, so I strap the quiver behind my back and hook my bow to it.

As I walk, I trip over a tree limb and fall flat on my face. _Why am I such a klutz today?_

Chiron and the others must have heard me. "Who's there?" Chirons demands. He canters over and finds me sprawled on the ground, spitting a clump of dirt out of my mouth. "Jason, is that you?" He asks.

I have no choice but to answer as he hovers over me. "Yes, sir."

"Well, get up. We need to get back to the camp _now_." He orders.

I stand but find myself very weak. I take a step forward but my knees buckle and I collapse. I'm exhausted and hungry. I feel so drained, but I need to keep going to get back to camp. These woods aren't safe at night... even for a vampire.

As I try to stand again, but fail, Chiron reaches down and grabs the back of my cloak, lifting me into the air and onto his back. I sit behind Nico, who is still passed out and the arrow remains in his side. The arrow must've been there for at least a half hour.

"Jason," Chiron says, "how long has it been since you've eaten?"

"At least a good twenty-four hours." I answer.

"On a scale of one to ten, one being 'not very much' and ten being 'extremely' ...how hungry are you now?"

I think for a moment. "At least a nine. Maybe nine and a half."

"Hmmm, we'd better find you something to eat. I think the Apollo cabin may have a potion that will satisfy your thirst, rather than having you drink blood."

I'd try anything over drinking animal's blood. I just need to have it now, before I go on another frenzy and attack some random person. And it probably isn't a very good idea for me to be sitting next to Nico where I can smell his blood so clearly. It still smells so fresh. Juicy. Appetizing.

_No, I cannot drink my friend's blood. Keep your mind focused on something else._

"Chiron, do you think I'll ever be human again?" I ask.

Two of the campers walking beside us gasp and one asks, "What are you?" I ignore the question. I would think they would've caught on by now due to Chiron telling me moments ago that he'll find a potion rather than having me drink blood.

"With no doubt in my mind, I know that you will find a way to become human again. You're an extraordinary demigod. The son of Zues, in fact. I know that Percy will be cured too. You'll work together, along with the rest of your team. I know you can find a cure."

That cheers me up. "But what if there is no cure?"

He chuckles quietly. "There is, and you'll find it."

Then, everything seems to happen at once.

The first thing I know: I'm not on Chiron's back anymore. There's a sack over my head. I'm being dragged away by my arms. I hear Chiron shout a curse as my new captors, or possibly past from earlier today, pull me far from my camp director.

Next thing I know, someone punches me hard in the gut, which doesn't help my hunger situation. Then, they hit me on the back of the head. Everything starts to go fuzzy, but not from the eidolons again. Usually when the eidolons take over, everything gets fuzzy, but this is different. And I know why.

They didn't hit me on the back of the head, they stabbed me with something. Not a knife, but it numbly feels like a needle. Maybe a shot. They may have injected a dose of some sort of antibiotic. The world begins to go hazy. Everything- sounds, feeling, sight -it all goes away.

The last thing I think of is Piper. These goons might have her too. She may have already experience everything that I am now, or she may in the future. She could be lost in the woods, for all I know. Whatever the case, I just hope she's safe.

I hope she's okay.

* * *

**A/N I'm really sorry that this chapter went kinda slow. I tried to end it on a suspenseful note. Hopefully got you readers on the edge of your seats. What happens next you ask? I don't know. Really, I just wing this story as it goes on. I still gotta figure out what's happening with Jason myself. Hahah. I have a few ideas though. I think you're gonna like it. I hope so, anyways. Well, please review and I hope you enjoyed it! I'll post the next chapter as soon as I can. :)**


	10. Explanations

_**The Heroes Of Olympus & The Surrounding Darkness**_

**Alright, this chapter hopefully answers some of your questions. I tried to explain some things better, but if you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask about them. It'd really help ;)**

* * *

Nico DiAngelo P.O.V.

_Gods, this sucks._

I've been kidnapped.

I'm currently in a car or something, there's a sack over my head, and my hands and feet are bound with rope.

Someone else was captured too. I saw him before they shoved this sack over my head. I'm pretty sure it's Jason, but can't be sure, he already had a sack over his head. The only way I could tell it was Jason is because of the outfit... and where did the cloak come from?

My shoulder still feels numb. I don't know who healed it, but they did a good job.

"Percy?" I hear a male voice ask beside me. "Is that you?"

"No." I answer. "I'm Nico."

I hear him sigh in relief. "Thank gods it's you."

"I'm guessing you're Jason, right?"

"Yeah. Anyone else here?"

"Not that I know- OUCH!" Someone punches me hard in the stomach.

"Stop talking!" They shout. It's a woman's voice, but I don't recognize it.

The car suddenly comes to a stop and the door on my left side slides open and two firm hands pull me out. I land on my knees on concrete, and I hear Jason land beside me. At least, I assume it's Jason.

"There's only two here. Where's the other one?" A man's voice booms in front of me.

The woman replies, "We could not find Perseus. These two were easy to spot, and I'll have the third by the morning."

"You'd better. It's now or never."

"I don't understand, though. Why can't we use another demigod? Why must it be Perseus?"

The man sighs in an irritated way. "I've told you time and time again: We need one child for each of the three major gods. One child of Zeus, one of Poseidon, and one of Hades."

"Oh... I forgot." She mutters.

"What are these two?"

"This one is Jason Grace, son of Zeus. The scrawny one is Nico DiAngelo, son of Hades."

Well that was rude.

"Did you bite the son of Zeus?"

"Yes, sir. I couldn't help myself. He's so... powerful." I can tell she's smirking by her tone.

"It doesn't matter. We only need him, mortal or not. Is the son of Hades still mortal?"

"I believe so."

"Good, now get them back in the truck. Prep them for tomorrow's ceremony. And make damn sure you find the son of Poseidon. Without him, everything we've done will be for nothing."

"Yes, sir. I'll have him in my custody by the morning."

"Yes, now get out of my sight."

At this, I feel the temperature drop about twenty degrees. There is the sound of electricity burning through the air and the muffled shrieks of our captors.

Jason strikes again.

I suppose I should do something to help. But what? I try squirming my hands free but it's not helping. I try shaking the sack off my head but I just can't get it. I grunt in frustration.

"Oh, jeez. Sorry, Nico, I forgot you were there," Jason says as he pries the sack off my head. He smiles down at me, obviously proud of his recent accomplishments. I roll my eyes at this.

"Can you just cut my hands and feet loose?" I ask.

He takes his coin out of his pocket and flips it. It becomes his double-edged sword and before he cuts the ropes that bind me, he decides to ask, "What's the magic word?"

"You can't be serious."

"Come on, Nico," He smiles.

"You're seriously playing this card at a time like this?"

"I'm not freeing you until you say it."

I sigh, frustrated by his idiocy. In a dull tone, I reply, "Please, Jason Grace, son of the almighty Zeus, will you free me, Nico DiAngelo, son of Hades, from these ropes?" I try my best to glare daggers at him.

"Was that so hard?" He asks, smirking.

"Yes," I mutter.

He cuts me loose and I jump up, prepared for the next possible attack. I look around and see nothing. No one is in sight.

_Woosh!_

Something flies past my ear and hits Jason directly in the chest. It looks like some sort of dart.

Jason stares at it for a moment. His expression is somewhere between shock and confusion. He looks up at me expectantly. I don't know what to do.

Suddenly, a sharp pain erupts from the small of my back. It sends me forward onto the ground. My eyesight begins to fade slowly.

The flashback of Percy jumping into the River Styx plays through my mind. Now I know how he must have felt. The small of his back was his Achilles' heel, and he must have lived in fear of it every day. It was my fault he jumped in. It was stupid of me. I could've gotten Percy killed. No matter what, I will always carry the guilt of that day with me. I think about it every day, just hoping for one day… not to.

* * *

Jason Grace P.O.V.

I wake up feeling hazy. I look around but see nothing. It's dark, and I know exactly why.

We're back to square one.

"Eh, I think the runt's awake," A man's voice says. He pulls the sack off my head with a devilish grin.

The first thing I see is big, ugly Cyclopes.

"Where am I?" I demand.

He walks away, ignoring me. Then, someone else approaches. It's the man with the purple cloak, the weirdo with the jar.

"Tell me what was in that jar earlier."

He laughs, amused. "You could say please." He scoffs me. "Well, I suppose I'll tell you anyway. Nothing better to do around here."

I finally take a look around. We're in some kind of... hotel room? Or maybe a master bedroom in a giant mansion? It's hard to tell, but the décor is amazing. Everything is so modern and, well, fancy. Did our captors want us to enjoy our stay here?

Nico! Crap, where is he? My head turns in every direction. Then, I spot him. Far across the room, still unconscious, chains wrapped around his chest and arms, sitting straight on the floor.

"So, you want to know about my special little jar, huh?" He interrupts my curiosity. "Truly, there's nothing really special about it. I stored eidolons in it. How that's possible: magic. I kept them all cooped up in there for many months. Now, they're possessing you and your friends. All but two of them, that is. The boy named Leo, and the other child of Pluto, Hazel. But, that doesn't matter. We have some surprises for them that will come to pass soon enough. We have a big surprise for your whole camp, actually. Oh, wait! That's right: both camps! Your precious little homes won't last another day." He smirks evilly.

"My friends will stop you. You aren't going to hurt any of us."

He laughs again. "How will your friends have time to save you and your cousin if they already have enough problems of their own? Not all of them are mortal anymore; Most of them are being controlled by eidolons; They still must figure out where you are. It's too much for them." He turns around and heads for the door.

"You won't get away with this!"

"Oh, but I already have." He smiles maniacally as he opens the door. Before he steps out, he looks back at me. "Enjoy your stay." He snaps his fingers and mine and Nico's chains disappear.

As the door quietly shuts, I bolt to it, slamming into it. I try to get the doorknob open but it's useless. I take out my coin, toss it into the air and it becomes my sword. I whack my sword against the door so hard, it made my head rattle. Nothing happened. I try again but it bounces of harmlessly. I try again.

Nothing. How is this possible?

Magic. It must be. There's no other explanation.

I turn around to see our room. There's two King sized beds, a giant, flat-screen television, a fridge (hopefully stocked with food, I'm starving), a bathroom, a closet full of new clothes, and a balcony.

Of course, I head straight for the balcony. I look over the edge, seeing that we're high. Maybe fifteen floors?

I focus all of my power into flying. I wait for my feet to stop touching the ground, to be raised into the air.

Nothing happens.

Great, now I have no powers. How is this possible? Gods, I'm hungry.

I walk back inside and open the fridge. Half is filled with amazing-looking foods: sandwiches, cookies, fruits, soda and milk, various meats, and so much more. The other, which I assume is for me, is filled with the last thing I was hoping to see: blood. It's all in transparent, glass pitchers.

I can't help myself, I'm starving. I reach into the fridge and take out one of the pitchers. I don't bother to pour some into a cup.

I just start drinking. I start and I don't stop. Not until it's all gone.

_Today sucks._

* * *

**I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed this chapter because of Nico. He's one of my favorite characters in the PJO series, if not _the _favorite. He's the cooliest! (Him, Leo, Jason, Percy, and Pipes are my faves!) ;) And it's funny, I used to hate Piper, but all of a sudden, she was one of my faves! So weird O.o**


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